We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Workers' Rights

A poem by David Chalk. 

So far I haven't been able to find out much about this British poet except that he has written some great poems.

Workers’ Rights

In the not-so distant past
Workers had no rights
To achieve them they organised
To win them they had to fight

From Tolpuddle and Unions
And the right to strike
Working folk won their rights
Against greedy financial might

But what they won was a victory
In a battle not the war
As some seek to re-set the clock
To what there was before.

What they won was fairness
And dignity for all
But these rights were limited
And then restrained and worn

And slowly these rights were reduced
Gradually made weak and small
And now financial privilege claims
They should not exist at all.

They say removing rights is necessary
It’s what our country needs
They say it’s to restore the economy
That such rights are economic weeds

Thus does greedy financial might
Try to steal what has been won
With lies and excuses about our plight
And what must be done.

Those who believe in justice
Those who support what’s fair
Must fight these lies with honesty
And forever remain aware.


Here is David Chalk reading his poem.

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